Reading Comprehension (End-of-year test) 9th grade

Read the text. Which paragraph (A–F) is about … Write a letter.

The Caledonian Forest

A

I am looking at a photograph of Scotland, taken from one of its high mountains, looking down onto a dark lake, and hills stretching into the distance towards the sea. In the golden autumn sunshine, a pair of brightly coloured birds have found a safe hiding place to make their homeamong the grasses and flowers that cover the ground. But there are no trees.

B

It was not always so. Until a few hundred years ago, much of Scotland was part of the Caledonian Forest, a huge area of woodland of ancient trees and wildlife. In time, the forest began to be cleared to make farms, and in the 18th century, even more of the trees were cut down to buildships. Less than 5% of the original forest is now left.

C

Charities, businesses and other organisations have ambitious plans to try and bring the forest back. Anders Holch Povlsen, a Danish billionaire, is a big supporter of the ideas – and as the biggest landowner in the UK, he is someone who can make a difference.

D

He has already started work on some of the countryside that he owns. Once he had protected it from sheep – because they eat young trees – he started the planting project. In the past few years, his Scottish team have planted more than four million new trees.

E

Povlsen, however, is not thinking about this year or the next. He is thinking about the way Scotland will look 200 years from now, when the forests have come back and can live on without human help. They will provide a home for Scotland’s wildlife, for bears, wolves and other animals, and the trees will help the environment by storing carbon and helping to slow down climate change.

F

Some people argue that bringing back the Caledonian Forest is not the answer to Scotland’s problems. Dr Jim Hunter, a professor at the University of the Highlands and Islands, thinks more should be spent on people and jobs rather than trees. Povlsen, however, believes that tourism and environmental work will bring lots of job opportunities, and it should be possible to have both employment and a beautiful country to live in.

Groups who want to re-plant the forest?

A critic of the idea of bringing the forest back?

Environmental benefits of the forest?

The way Scotland looks?

A forest that has disappeared?

The achievements someone has already made?

Read the text again. Choose the best answers.

The photograph that the writer describes shows …

In the 18th century, trees were cut down …

The text says that Anders Holch Povlsen …

The first part of Anders Povlsen’s project was to …

Anders Povlsen believes that the forest …

Dr Hunter would prefer to spend more money on …